South
by K. East
Summary: Lily had a wonderful life... She didn't know she touched so many lives. LJ Heavily based on It's A Wonderful Life.
1. Prologue

South

Prologue

It was a misty morning in March, an ordinary day – except for the voices which, of course, only you and I are privy to.

"You called?"

"Yes, Elizabeth. Someone on Earth needs help and it's your turn."

"Splendid! What an inspiration!"

Two figures formed in the mist, high above the tallest mountain and friendliest star – the pair were quite elegant there, unable to be spotted by any mortal who may look up.

"No – it's saddening," the taller figure said, sounding regretful. "Tonight, without help, she will throw away God's greatest gift. You can see why I am sending you."

"I don't," said the feminine voice. Its matching figure was turned towards the Earth, hands clasped in thoughtfulness. "I can't help, Joseph, you know I can't -" It was sounding slightly panicked now.

"It's your turn," Joseph said, and Elizabeth flinched.

"Yes, but -"

"You will know what to do, Elizabeth."

She took a shuddering breath. "Very well – but Joseph?"

"Might I know something about her, first?"

"I thought you might ask that." The clouds fell away and a town came into focus.


	2. Act I Scene I

South

Act I

Scene I

"No!"

"Yes!" she raged. It was the second time she had brought this up, and it was the second time he had done this to her. "You – can't – be – serious!" she spat.

"I wont' let you," he said, crossed his arms, looking like heartbreak in his street clothes. A shock of black hair fell wildly over his eyes, and she wanted nothing more than to push it away, kiss him, and call him an idiot.

But that comment caught her off guard.

"What do you mean, you won't let me?" And her focus was suddenly all on maintaining face. She couldn't fathom where the argument was going.

"I mean I'll talk to Dumbledore. I won't _let_ you."

"James Potter!" she screeched. Harry was crying again, but that fell to the back of her sense. "You cannot dictate my life!"

"I'm your husband!" he shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "I _won't_ just put you in danger like that! The prophecy -"

"The bloody prophecy! The bloody prophecy, the bloody oracles, the bloody -"

"Lily, don't swear in front of Harry -"

"He's going to have to learn sometime, isn't he?" she cried hysterically. Tears were welling up now, and she wiped hastily at her eyes to draw them away.

"_Lily_."

"I want to _learn_," she said weakly. "I want to fight. When we got married you promised -"

"That was before Trelawney -"

"Bloody Trelawney!" Lily, gathering up her pride – and her coat – stopped her tears and scowled at her husband. "If you trust her more than me, why don't you go marry _her_?"

"Lily!" The shocked face was unbearably pale, thrown out in an atmosphere of home and hearth. "I cannot believe you!"

"I can't believe _you_!" she cried before slamming the door behind her.

"You should've told me first," Elizabeth said reproachfully.

"Then you wouldn't have agreed," Joseph replied softly.


	3. Act I Scene II

South

Act I

Scene II

The redhead was now seated on an over-stuffed couch in her small apartment, a letter clutched in her hands. The parchment was new, but crumpled and creased as if she had read it many times before.

Elizabeth peered over Lily's shoulder to read it. This is how it went:

_Dearest Lily,_

_today is little Neville's birthday. The Longbottoms had a fantastic little party and invited everyone, even James (Alice still doesn't forgive him for what he did). He had a little vanilla cake with one candle - it was so cute!_

_Harry received your present and loved it, though it took a good talk from Sirius to convince James that a picture book on Grindelwald was appropriate. What Harry doesn't know is that James only said no because it was from you._

_I passed your birthday greeting on to Harry, and he wanted to know where you were. I told him to wait and see._

_Your friend_

_Marlene_

Lily paused, looking nostalgic for a moment. Then she crumpled up the letter - again - and shoved it in her pocket - again. She curled back up on the couch, her face full of changing emotions.

"You see," Joseph said, "Lily hadn't seen her son for three months. The pain and labor of being a mother was, to her, fruitless."

"But James..." Elizabeth looked pained.

"Never left Godric's Hollow. He didn't even have a job - just waited for the day his wife would come home."

"And her?"

"Waited for the day her husband would apologize."

Elizabeth drank this in, looking slightly regretful. "It's a never-ending circle. She won't come back until he apologizes, and he can't apologize because he can't find her. _That's_ silly."

"That's life. Lily had given her friends permission to tell him where she is. She's not that stubborn. She misses her son. But I'm afraid the message was never relayed to James."

"And she's still all by her lonesome in southern England."

"She is."

"What an inspiration," Elizabeth said.

"Yes - but look at this -" and the scene shifted. They were now looking on something else.


	4. Act I Scene III

South

Act I

Scene III

The setting was a sunny, but chilly day. Lily was dressed in a black dress with a modest bodice and long pencil skirt. The visitors to the memorial were few - Lily, Dumbledore, and a certain black dog who was looking to thoughtful to be truly animal.

Lily's eyes were dry, though her expression was a clearly hurt one. Dumbledore was making conversation with the distant relative who had arrived to speak for the McKinnons.

"An outdoor procession is so rare nowadays," she said to the dog. "Make sure mine's outdoors, too."

The dog looked at her with a sad expression.

"Just promise."

He wagged his tail.

"And don't let James bring Harry -" Lily choked on these words. "It - it won't be good for him."

The dog wagged his tail again, but still looked very reproachful. He settled down on his haunches, staring at Dumbledore.

"What's the time?" Lily wondered out loud, before checking her watch. "Ah - I've got to be going home. I've got to make dinner, you know. I've got some friends over..."

The dog whimpered.

"What? I can't make new friends?" she snapped. There was a loud _crack_ and she was gone.

"Do you see now, Elizabeth?" Joseph asked as the scene slipped from focus. "Lily didn't have friends to her apartment that night. She ate alone, read alone, and slept alone."

"I don't understand, Joseph," Elizabeth murmured. "Why didn't she go back to Godric's Hollow, if she was so sad?"

"You know why. Lily has - or had - a great deal of pride," Joseph said. "She was afraid - afraid that talking to James about the issue would only result in her ridicule. It's happened to better people."

"But he loves her..."

"It doesn't matter. She doesn't want to make herself vulnerable again. It's all too easy, with the war going on."


	5. Act I Scene IV

South

Act I

Scene IV

"Hello, Bret." Lily sat at the table comfortably, looking around as she did. The quaint little café was empty except for herself and the two working there - a kindly waitress, Donna, and the owner, a friendly man who insisted she call him Bret.

He brought her a cup of tea which she immediately wrapped her hands around.

"You look sad," he told her.

"Oh - hard day at work. And I'm getting ready for divorce court, you see - "

"Are you?" he sounded vaguely disinterested, but Lily dismissed this. "You know, a lady like you shouldn't be working full-time. Quite sad, quite sad."

"I have to get in rent and have something to leave to my son," Lily said quietly after sipping her drink. "Bret, I don't think I'll live much longer."

"Don't say that; you can pull through this."

"Yes, but the war - and I've so many things on my shoulders - "

"Ah," Bret said suddenly. "I just remembered. Someone came in here looking for you. A man," he said regretfully.

"There is Bret, my overprotective friend," she joked. Then her face became more sober. "Really - who was it?"

"I've no idea," Bret said, shrugging. "Tall fellow. Black hair, brown eyes? He told me to give you this note." He dug through his pockets and withdrew a slip of paper, which read:

_meet me at the leaky cauldron_

_padfoot_

"Sirius," Lily sighed. She looked quite disappointed. "Thank you, Bret."

"She went, of course." Joseph peered at the note in curiosity.

"Of course," Elizabeth echoed. "Sirius tried so hard - "

"So did everyone else, as you'll see."


	6. Act I Scene V

South

Act I

Scene V

"Over here, Lily."

"What is this all about, Sirius?" Lily sat herself at the table, looking around as she did. The passage between Muggle London and Diagon Alley was swarming with people as students made last-minutes purchases over spring break.

"I need to talk to you." Sirius twiddled his thumbs.

"You've expressed that much," she said sourly.

"Well, isn't this a good place to talk? There are so many memories here...remember the time Frank - "

"This is where James proposed." Lily leaned forward, looking into Sirius's startled eyes. "I'm not stupid. August 19, 1978. We were eighteen years old. Did you think I'd forget?"

"No - I just -" Sirius looked a bit shaky now. "I -"

"Well, I didn't," she said harshly. "I never will, alright?"

"We're just worried about you!" Sirius blurted. "Everyone! Alice and Frank and Peter and Remus and _James_, Lily! We miss you!"

"James," Lily said quietly, "does not miss me." The ferocity of the statement was hidden in her sober expression. "You _know_ how he is, Sirius. He's arrogant, he's controlling, he's - "

"A real piece of work. I know. But he's also my best mate and I can assure you it was just a misunderstanding."

"Some best mate you are," Lily said cruelly. "I'm finally happy - "

"A lie - "

"And I don't want to go back."

"We're not asking you to come home," Sirius said gently, knowing he was treading on eggshells now. "I'm just saying. It wouldn't hurt to write a letter or two. Let everyone know you're alright."

"I'm not alright, Sirius," Lily said, her voice cracking a little. "Haven't I been saying that all along?"

"Er - not really."

"So much for helping." Lily gathered her wits about her and stood. "Answer me one thing, Sirius. Will James ever find me himself?"

There was a long pause in which Sirius looked at a loss of an answer.

"That's what I thought." She stared at Sirius briefly before turning away. "Please don't forget what I said at Marlene's funeral." She Disapparated.

Joseph tilted his head. "That's where things change, Elizabeth."

"But -"

"Elizabeth - do you know why I'm sending you?"

Elizabeth paused. "Because it's my turn?"

"Yes, but there's more to it. You know that." Joseph paused and sighed. "When you died, Elizabeth, you seemed like such a potential. But it became clear soon that you were not ready to move on."

"So...? I'm here now, aren't I?"

"I suppose I had no other choice. You were excused. You were not given the choice of remaining behind like the others would be."

"You mean...stay alive?"

"No. You were not able to become a ghost."

Elizabeth frowned. "Alright."

"This is your chance to resolve things, Elizabeth," Joseph said softly. "Your situation, and Lily's, if you recall. And this evening, at 10:45 PM..."


	7. Act II Scene I

South

Act II

Scene I

Lily was kneeled before her fireplace, staring at the long-dead coals. She supposed there would be no one to light them now.

It was all arranged - her will left everything to Sirius, to be passed on to Harry when he was of age. She didn't trust James enough anymore to take care of it.

Her rent was paid - no one would bother the apartment for a long time. No one would notice she was missing.

There was a letter on the table - explaining her actions, her reasons, where to find the will and how to get in contact with Petunia - who, coincidentally, had not contacted her sister in six months.

It was only a matter now of mustering up her final ounce of bravery.

The slim wand weighed easily in her hand, so real, so dangerous. So full of ability. Power. It was scary, how any one person was freely given the power to destroy another.

_Spark!_

A figure struggled out of the fireplace just as Lily was about to lift the wand to her ear.

"Splendid," the figure mumbled. "I think I just vomited a little in my mouth."

"Who the hell are you?" Lily cried.

"Elizabeth McGlie, if you please." The woman hopped to her feet. "Dear, if you might put the wand down - I'm not Death Eater!"

"How do I know who you are?"

"I just told you, didn't I? Well, they get more and more eccentric as time goes by." Elizabeth looked Lily in the eye. "You've certainly changed."

"Do I know you?" Lily asked after a slow pause. "You're familiar."

"Elizabeth, dear. I've watched you since you were a child."

"What are you - some kind of creepy stalker?"

"Not at all. Say, you didn't go through with it, did you?"

"Go through with what?"

"Why, the _Avada Kedavra_, of course."

"That's illegal," Lily said quietly.

"It's illegal where I come from, too."

"Where do you come from?"

"Oh, you know. The great beyond. The next life. The world in the clouds."

"Get out of my house."

"You aren't even going to offer me new clothes? I've ash all over my blouse."

Lily could see this, but she didn't think it quite as funny as others might've. After all, this stranger - who was currently suffering from lag, as it appeared - had just Apparated into her apartment! "Look," she said slowly. "I don't know how you got here. I'm not even on the Floo Network - "

"Oh, it's not Floo." Elizabeth brushed the grey ash off her clothes and made her way across the room, settling herself on Lily's lumpy sofa. "Now, let's get acquainted. We shall say we've known each other for years. You're Lily Evans, but we know that. I'm Elizabeth McGlie, A-S-2."

"What on earth is the A-S-2 for?" Lily asked, curiosity for the ccentric stranger overpowering her common sense.

"Angel, second class."

"Angel?" Lily smiled. "I believe in a lot of things, miss - Elizabeth, was it? but angel are a stretch. You certainly don't look like one. You haven't any wings."

"Yes, that's why I'm second-class. I've got to earn them, and you'll help me, won't you?"

"Oh, certainly," Lily said, humoring her. "I suppose you angels need all the help you can get."

"Why, yes, we do." Elizabeth smiled. "My friend - or shall we say acquaintance - waited over 200 years for his. Of course, he's an odd little fellow. Not much smarter than a squirrel."

"And how long have you been waiting?"

"Oh, I lose track of time. Not long."

Lily raised her eyebrows with an odd expression. Two-hundred years was a long time to wait for wings. But who was she kidding? This woman was a fraud, a crazy fraud. Angels, if they existed, would not travel by Floo powder - there surely were better, _divine_ methods of sojourning.

"Well," Elizabeth said after a long pause, "that's it, then. I saved your life, just like Joseph asked. I suppose - "

"Saved my life?" Lily stared at Elizabeth for a moment. "What?"

"Well, I did, didn't I? If I hadn't shown up, you would've gone through with it."

"Now listen here, you," Lily said, "It's none of your business what I do. I don't even know you. The world would just be better off without me."

"But you're twenty-two!" Elizabeth cried. "You're too young to go. And with your son - "

"How do you know about my son?" Lily asked suspiciously. "Did someone send you?"

"Oh, yes. Joseph."

"Who is Joseph? How does he know all this about me?"

"Why, He knows everything about you."

"Well," said Lily, quite perplexed and affronted, "he shouldn't."

"But He does." Elizabeth smiled. "You'll understand eventually, when you meet Him."

Lily said nothing.

"Do you still believe this world would be better without you?"

"Oh, no. I suppose that would hurt James, wouldn't it? Killing myself without his _permission_," she added sarcastically. "It might've been better if I never was born at all. Yes, that's it; I wish I'd never been born."

"Splendid!" Elizabeth cried suddenly. "An idea! Look - you've never been born."

"What?" Lily tilted her head.

"You've never been born."

"Well - now you're just acting nutty again, aren't you?" Lily shook her head. "I suppose there was never any hope in the first place."

"Hope for what, Lily?"

"That you might've - oh, never mind. Come on. I'll drive you to the store. You can use their fireplace - I'm not on Floo, remember."

"Alright, then." Elizabeth followed Lily obediantly out the door. "Why ever so many locks, dear?"

"Please don't call me dear. There's a war going on, don't you know?"

"Is there?"

"Ah, of course. You must've missed it, up in heaven." Lily finished locking the door and turned to Elizabeth. "Let's go, shall we?"


	8. Act II Scene II

South

Act II

Scene II

The night was quiet outside the small café. Lily was wont to eat breakfast here on Tuesdays - they were her favorite days, because "they just sound pretty." Other days she would stop by for croissants or milk. It was generally the only place she frequently attended. It was a bonus that this was an entirely wizarding town.

"Go on in," she told Elizabeth. "Bret is a friend of mine."

Elizabeth didn't question this, though she did wonder how the now-reclusive and depressed Lily managed to keep any friends.

The pair entered the café.

"Looking a bit messy," Lily commented. Someone looked at her sourly.

They stepped up to the counter, where Lily addressed the lady at the register. "Hello, Donna. Where's Bret?"

The dour-faced lady blinked at Lily. "Excuse me?"

"You know - Bret. Your boss." Lily smiled weakly.

"Look, I don't know who you're talking about. I'm the boss around here. And where do you get off calling me Donna, anyway?"

"Donna - " Lily was taken aback. "I know you - "

"Do you now? Do you know you need to order something or get out?"

"Bring us two plain coffees," Lily said hastily. As the waitress turned away with a hateful expression, our favorite redhead turned to Elizabeth and promptly said, "I wonder what's _wrong_ with her. And where's Bret?"

"You never lent him money to buy the business," Elizabeth said wisely.

"What are you talking about? How did you know about that money?"

"I know everything about you, Lily. I'm an angel." Donna returned and pushed two Stryafoam cups of black coffee across the counter. There was a short trill as she opened the register. "Hey, would you hear that? Splendid - someone's just made it."

"What?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Elizabeth asked innocently. "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. Or, in my case, her."

"Elizabeth - " Lily looked nervously at Donna, who was now staring with undisguised dislike - "perhaps it isn't a good idea to talk about getting your wings here."

"Don't they believe in angels here?"

"Yes, but - "

"Well, what's so frightening about us, then?"

"She's a little childish," Lily said hastily to Donna. "An actress, too - getting ready for Broadway - "

"Alright, enough of that," Donna said roughly. "Out you go. I won't have you sobering up your pal in here, lady!"

"I beg your pardon! I don't know what's making you so hateful tonight, Donna - "

"Whoever you are, out!" And suddenly the two women - more specifically, the woman and the angel - were out on the street in the late spring slush.


	9. Act II Scene III

South

Act II

Scene III

"Alright, who are you?" Lily demanded of Elizabeth. "Tell me now!"

"I can't," Elizabeth said, smiling. It was actually quite eerie. "Not past Elizabeth McGlie, A-S-2. Angel for who knows how long and dead for a little less."

"You're not dead!" Lily cried. "You're nutty! Hasn't anyone ever told you so! You're screwy!"

"Well, _that's_ not a very kind thing to say to someone."

"Look," Lily said, "there's a bookstore across the river. I'm going to my sister's house. Please don't follow me. Alright?"

"Petunia might not be ready for visitors."

"I - " Lily paused in taking out her wand. "What? How do you know Petunia?"

"She's your sister. She was always a little envious of your magical abilities, wasn't she?"

"I - you - " Lily was at a loss for words. A range of emotions scattered across her face before she finally decided this was too much, far too much, and Apparated to her sister's home in Privet Drive, Surrey.


	10. Act II Scene IV

South

Act II

Scene IV

Number four, Privet Drive was actually a rather normal-looking home. It had a large yard, hedges, a small flowerbed under the front window, and steps leading up to the door.

At least, it had when Lily had last seen it.

It now featured a tall fence which hid the browning lawn and untrimmed hedges. The flowerbed was sprouting weeds and the steps were crumbled around the edges.

"Oh, my..." Lily breathed. _Vernon has certainly let a lot of yard work pass him by._

Still, she maneuvered her way up to the door and knocked. There was no reply. She knocked again, louder this time. A woman finally answered, a short plump lady with dull hair and a sallow face.

"Excuse me," Lily began, but the lady was already closing the door.

"No vancancy," she twittered.

"No! Wait!" The door opened a crack. "Er - is Petunia here? Petunia Dursley?"

"Petunia?" The lady didn't smile, only looked vaguely interested. "Missus Evans?"

"Er - yes, that may be her..."

"Moved out," the lady told her. "But I pass on message, OK?" She grinned toothily.

"Oh - no, no." Lily reeled back. Petunia had moved out? The door closed in Lily's face again.

"She moved back in with your mum."

"Elizabeth!" Lily whirled around. "Oh, splendid. Perfectly splendid. I'm being followed around by a nut who thinks she's my guardian angel, my sister has moved out of Surrey without saying so, and one of my friends has disappeared from existence!"

"Well, you asked for it." Elizabeth sat on the crumbling step with a calm demeanor that exactly countered Lily's aggressive and panicked attitude.

Lily frozed. "Asked? Asked for _what_, pray tell?"

"You said," Elizabeth drawled, "you said you wished you'd never been born.

"So I gave you that. You've never been born. You've no obligations. No responsibilities."

"If I've never been born, then who am I?" Lily asked, a little nastily.

"You have no identity."

"Oh, don't I?" Lily reached into her pocket. "I'll have you know that I have a copy of my marriage license in my wallet - I was going to bring it to divorce court - " she pulled a leather wallet from her pocket and flipped it open.

"It's not there." Elizabeth looked disgruntled.

"It - it should be." Lily huffed. "Damnit. James must've taken it."

"He didn't."

"How do you know?" Lily shot back. "Look, no matter what happened to that, I've still got other forms of ID - "

"There's no driver's license, there's no insurance form. No checkbook with your name on it," Elizabeth told Lily as the latter rifled through her wallet. It was true. Nothing was there.

"Alright, you're crazy!" Lily cried, tossing her wallet to the ground. "You've - you've put a curse on me. Well, I know the counter-curse, alright? The last person I talked to before all this happened was Sirius. I'll go find him."

"Where is he?"

"Grimmauld Place, of course. Come along. I may as well take you to St. Mungo's - or Azkaban - while I'm nearby."

"They wouldn't," Elizabeth said. "They wouldn't see me."

"Donna saw you," replied Lily, unaware as to why she even bothered to argue in the first place.

"Yes, but only because I wanted her to."

"Yes of course." Lily rolled her eyes. "Let's go, then."

And they Apparated.


	11. Act II Scene V

South

Act II

Scene V

Grimmauld Place was gone.

Not just number twelve, Grimmauld Place, which cannot be seen except by those who are told where it is.

All of it.

All of Grimmauld Place was -

"Gone!" Lily cried. "Graveyard, Elizabeth, graves!"

"Even I am surprised," Elizabeth said quietly. Her face was shattered, changing emotions quickly. _So this is the _what if

"I can't believe it." Lily traced a finger down one stone angel's wing, then yanked her hand back as if burned. Digusted. "This place is full of Muggles. And - and the Order - but you wouldn't know about it, would you?"

"Quite the contrary," Elizabeth said, but Lily had already turned away.

"Bloody hell."

"Oh, dear," Elizabeth said, having a vague idea of what happened.

"Bloody _hell_."

Elizabeth looked over Lily's shoulder. The tombstone, illuminated by Lily's wand, was grey, rectangular, and overall a normal tombstone. Except the epitaph was very, very wrong.

_Here lies Severus Snape_

_son of Tobias and Eileen_

_1960 - 1973_

"No...no..."

"You were never there, Lily," Elizabeth told her. "You weren't there to feed James's honor, and so he wasn't there to save Sev's life."

"You're lying!" Lily cried. "Remus wouldn't hurt a fly - and Sev - Sev was my best friend until fifth year -"

"He never lived past thirteen," the angel said sadly.

"No!" Lily was almost delirious with fright at seeing the gravestone. It was suddenly her only focus now, very stark against the frosty ground. "You're _lying_!"

"I'm an angel. I don't lie."

"What's going on here?" A voice called. Light shone across the dark yard now, illuminating every stone. Quickly, Lily flipped her wand to point towards the voice.

A figure emerged, the flashlight flickering out of their eyes so they could see the stranger's face.

"That's interesting," Elizabeth said, but Lily had already thrown herself forward.

"James!" She wrapped her arms around the man, squeezing him tight. "Oh! I've missed you so much! I'm going crazy, James, strange things are happening to me!"

"Do I know you?" James asked, bewildered. Elizabeth was no longer in sight.

"Know me! Of course you know me! We met in Hogwarts," she started.

"Hogwarts was the loneliest seven years of my life," James said harshly, pushing Lily away. She stumbled backward and looked up, her face pale with shock. "And I don't know who you are."

"What?" Lily breathed. "Of course you do. I'm your wife. _Lily Evans Potter_! Where's our son, James? Where's Harry?"

"You're not my wife," he said coldly. "_Petrificus Totalus_."

Lily toppled over, a look of surprise frozen on her face.

"You're just another one of those," he said calmly, looking at her without an ounce of regret. It struck Lily that he was different now - that he did not have the same lively step, the same light demanor, the same abandon and love of life her husband had. That hurt her. Deeply.

"You," James said slowly as if speaking to a child, "are wrong in the head. Voldemort did this to you. I will take you to St. Mungo's where they can help you."

Lily stared, frozen. So many things had just _happened_ - seeing Severus's grave - which should not be here, oh no - and running into James, who was painfully un-James-like...

"I am curious, however," James said, and with a wave of his wand Lily's face was prickilng and unfrozen. "Why are you ehre, in teh graveyard of all places?"

"I beg your pardon," Lily said shakily, knowing something was too wrong here, "but I am not wrong in the head" - _or maybe I am_, she thought - "and - and I was here to - to find Sirius - " and here she broke into tears.

"You know Sirius?" James asked suspiciously, lowering his wand a bit.

"Yes! I know all the people you know - Remus, Fabian and Gideon -"

"Remus is in St. Mungo's," James said shortly. "Sirius is in Azkaban for murder. I don't know how you knew the twins, but they're dead."

"Of course they're not!" cried Lily, hysterical. "The twins are alive! They were at the last meeting of the Order - and Sirius and Remus - innocent! They were innocent!"

"Sirius tricked a thirteen year-old boy into his death," James spat. "Innocent. Bullocks."

Lily fell to the ground, her heart pounding in her ears and her throat hoarse. "I want to live again - oh, I want to live again."

Voices spun inside her head. James was shouting something at her. Black drizzled through her vision, and her temples pounded: _You were never there, Lily. I'm an angel. I don't lie._

"Elizabeth..."

_Yes?_ The voice was smoothed out now, almost familiar to Lily.

"I want to go home." A sob broke free. "Please."

_Go home, Lily._ The voice retracted, but Lily called it back feebly. _Yes?_

"What if - what if I had done it?"

Suddenly, Elizabeth's face was in full view...confused. _Pardon?_

"What if I had gone through with it? What would have happened?"

Elizabeth smiled grimly. _The mail carrier would've found you. You would've survived._

Before Lily could question that, Elizabeth faded away, leaving only, _You know, Bret McGlie is a very uninteresting man._

Then it was totally black.


	12. Act III Scene I

South

Act III

Scene I

The first thing Lily noticed was a weight in her pocket. The second thing she noticed was she was back in her apartment.

She sat up straight, breath hitched in her throat. Looking around, Lily observed that the fireplace was cold and lined with ashes; the 'phone was off its hook; the blinds were all drawn, and a silence enveloped the whole place.

She slipped her hand into her pocket after a long contemplation, and was surprised at how glad she felt. Inside was the letter from Marlene, written too long ago, that she had left in this very pocket. Removing it, she saw it was faded and ragged now, and dog-eared to boot.

Lily skimmed the words one more time. Without knowing it, she had almost memorized Marlene's words - how completely odd.

Suddenly everything she had just experienced flood her thoughts. What had Elizabeth said? Something about Bret. Bret McGlie. And Elizabeth's last name...

Before Lily could really muse over this new revelation, there was a jingle of bells from her mail slot. Crossing the room carefully and quietly (it just seemed wrong to break such a holy silence) she picked up the offending package: a big, yellow envelope, fat and stickered with many stamps.

She slit it open and many small, white envelopes fell out, ask well as a note addressed to her.

It read:

_Dear Lily,_

_I think you deserve these. They were never meant to be sent, but you need this._

_Your true friend,_

_R.J. Lupin_

The letters were all from James.

She could recognize his handwriting on the thick, quality paper of the envelopes. It was so spidery that she thought it was almost elegant. One by one, she opened each.

Some where short.

_Lily,_

_I'm sorry._

_James._

Some were long.

_Lily,_

_as your husband and father of your child I have deemed it necessary to apologise..._

One was a list of things James loved about her: Her hair. Her eyes. Her personality, her ability to make friends, her intelligence... another was a list of things he hated about himself: His nose, his glasses, his tendency to be an asshole... One was filled with pictures: of them kissing, hugging, dancing... one held the rough seating plan for their wedding, labeled in James's hand. Another merely said, "I love you."

Lily was crying.


	13. Act III Scene II

South

Act III

Scene II

Joseph and Elizabeth were back to where they had begun, one finally feeling resolved. Her misty appearance which never attracted an eye had taken on more brightness, more variety in color. She was the same, yet infinitely more splendid.

"Thank you for this chance, Joseph." Elizabeth clasped her hands together. "I've really resolved everything now, haven't I?"

"In this case." He smiled. "Well, you've earned your wings."

"And I can see," she said softly.

"You've done a good job, Lily. You really have."

the end


End file.
